Letter: Councilor makes General Plan sound too specific

In Chico City Councilor Mark Sorensen's recent letter to the editor, he laments, but does not back up, his statement that the General Plan "ultimately suppresses job creation." The Bay Area Economics (BAE) report he refers to is sprinkled with many positive recommendations. New jobs and revenue sources are attainable.

For example, BAE's suggestions for downtown include attracting larger brand name retail stores and a new multiplex movie theater. Long-term goals, for sure, but they will attract valuable Chico State dollars.

His notion that city staff are rigidly dictating doorknob colors is absurd. For residential duplex, triplex and multifamily buildings, Chico's Design Guidelines Manual reads: "Select entry doors that complement the architectural style, including color and hardware." That means don't install a modern deadbolt lock on Bidwell Mansion's front door.

Furthermore, single-family homes are exempt from discretionary design review unless they are part of a planned development permit or a specific plan. Put in perspective, 55 percent of Chico homes are single family.

The state stipulates that cities adopt a comprehensive, long-term general plan. Thereafter, comprehensive updates typical occur every 15 to 20 years. Why? Because planning is a continuous process that responds to new ideas, community needs and to changes in community values.

General Plans are general, not specific. Dynamic, not static. Blemishes like the proposed Pomona Avenue student housing project are to be expected. Adjustments and interpretations are healthy, and certainly not something to complain about.